Many new parents understand the necessity of covering electrical sockets; however, many overlook the importance of baby-proofing their relationship as part of preparation for parenthood. Baby proofing your marriage before it goes through its greatest (and sometimes smallest) challenge: welcoming a newborn.
Many of the relationship pitfalls that new parents can fall prey to can be mitigated with open communication and mutual understanding. Here are a few tips to help baby-proof your relationship:
1. Make Time for Each Other
Once you’ve prepared your nursery, taken lamaze classes, and purchased a car seat, don’t forget to also baby proof your relationship! It is a vital aspect of family life.
Even strong relationships require occasional TLC to remain happy and healthy. Sometimes this means showing your appreciation with small acts of love like sending your partner an affectionate text or purchasing them something extra when shopping.
Other times it might mean going out with just each other without children and talking about something other than teething or the baby’s new hat. This helps reconnect you to yourself as autonomous adults and reminds both parties why they entered this partnership in the first place.
2. Let Your Partner Fail
An infant can often make couples forget that their relationship may be facing its first test, especially when their schedules become filled up with caregiving duties and chore lists for each weekend. If this sounds familiar to you and/or your partner, now may be a good time to work on improving communication skills and work through conflicts more amicably.
Support your partner’s goals, dreams and beliefs and show your dedication by performing acts of service for them. Compliment your significant other or take them out for coffee as ways of showing that you still care despite life getting in the way.
3. Take Care of Yourself
Maintaining a healthy relationship is of the utmost importance in any long-term partnership, including identifying toxic people and finding ways to avoid them. Positive relationships should also be prioritized by organizing regular activities like dinner dates or date nights with your significant other.
Small gestures of love can go a long way toward keeping your partner’s attention and showing that you care. A text message at the end of each day or sext can show that they remain your priority and won’t ever be replaced by anyone else.
4. Be Honest
Honesty is essential to any healthy relationship. It helps establish trust between partners, making difficult topics like finances or sexuality easier to discuss. Plus, honesty creates vulnerability which may seem scary at first, yet this part of loving someone.
Being truthful means not keeping secrets or worrying how your partner will respond, while accepting them for who they are regardless of some of their quirky habits that might not appeal. Doing this helps to eliminate competition and jealousy that can undermine any relationship; and shows respect that is reciprocated by people who practice honesty.
5. Be Affectionate
Nothing destroys relationships faster than feeling unappreciated, so make it a point to show your partner every day how much they mean to you through small gestures such as creative compliments or sending playful text messages.
Nurture your relationship by being reliable; when you say you’ll do something, follow through. Be respectful of your partner’s space and avoid spying or stalking them – healthy relationships should provide one another with enough space and safety for one to feel vulnerable without judgment from their partners.
6. Make Time for Each Other
Even strong relationships may be put under strain by having a baby, so it’s crucial that you baby-proof them so they stand the test of parenthood.
Resentment can quickly form when one partner feels as though they’re taking on too much responsibility or is feeling left out of all of the love and attention given to their offspring. Plan ahead so that household chores are evenly divided among both partners so each receives enough quality time together.
Small acts of appreciation can go a long way. Send a text (or sext) highlighting something they do well or place a sweet note on their steering wheel or coffee mug to show your thanks.https://www.youtube.com/embed/AbusKrcNJTI